In the treatment of disease or injury to the spine, it is often necessary to remove portions of the spine and replace the removed portions by bone grafts in a process known as bone fusion.
Inasmuch as the healing of the bone fusion takes time, it is desirable to provide stabilization to the spine that will remain in position not only during the healing but also after the healing.
Among the objectives of the present invention are to provide a method and apparatus for stabilizing the spine which will effectively provide substantially immediate stabilization not only where vertebral bodies are removed but also where vertebrae are removed.
In accordance with the invention, the method of stabilizing the spine wherein a bone graft has been provided between spaced vertebral bodies which comprises engaging preformed wire members having loops connected by wire with each loop engaging the transverse process of a vertebra, forming the wire connecting loops in an arch extending posteriorly of the lamina, and packing bone cement about the wire members and longitudinally between the lamina.